Many drugs administered by the drug dispensing art possess hydrophobic properties that diminish their bioavailability caused by the slow rate of dissolution and concomitantly diminish their therapeutic effect. This is a serious problem with hydrophobic drugs. For example, the preparation and use of stable aqueous formulations comprising a hydrophobic drug, such as insoluble steroids including cortisone acetate, progesterone, testosterone propionate, estradiol monobenzoate, and the like hydrophobic drugs often leads to unwanted problems. These problems are exemplified by the growth of large crystals that can (1) diminish solubility, dissolution, and bioavailability of a drug; (2) be a source of irritation to a patient; and (3) give rise to mechanical difficulties in attempting to pass large crystals through hypodermic needles and through enteral and parenteral tubes.
It will be appreciated by those versed in the drug dispensing arts that if a dosage form comprising a drug formulation is made available that overcomes the tribulations of the prior art, such a dosage form would have a positive value in the drug dispensing art. Likewise, it will be scientifically self-evident to those versed in the drug delivery art, that if a dosage form is made available that delivers the essentially prescribed dose, such a dosage form would have immediate acceptance in the fields of human and veterinary medicine.